Brett King: September 2010 Archives

Ben Coe's powerful debut thriller, Power Down, imagines a series of tightly constructed attacks on America's energy-producing capacity.  Under the direction of the brutal and brilliant Alexander Fortuna, terrorists manage to blow up a major hydroelectric dam.  But when they target the mammoth Capitana platform off the coast of Colombia--slaughtering most of the crew and destroying the oil field--they encounter a formidable challenge to their campaign of terror.  As crew chief of the platform, Dewey Andreas survives the attack, overcomes the terrorist team, and rescues as many of his men as possible.  Drawing upon his long-dormant training as a soldier, Andreas begins a one-man battle against terrorists and operatives as he races to stop them before they can execute the next stage of increasingly deadly assaults.

Several first-rank thriller writers have praised Coes and Power Down.  Stephen Coonts calls it "A ripping thriller from an exciting new novelist....Lots of action, a terrific hero, and a slimy villain--thrillers don't get any better," and Vince Flynn writes, "Power Down is terrific! With a gripping story, compelling characters, a relentless pace and nerve-wracking suspense, Power Down is one of the must-read thrillers of the year."